


The Top Ten Ways To Know If The Universe Is Conspiring Against You: "Cause of Death" Edition

by carryingstarlightinherwake



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst and Feels, Episode AU: s04e17-18 The End of Time, Episode Fix-It: s04e17-18 The End of Time, Episode Rewrite: s04e17-18 The End of Time, Episode: s04e18 The End of Time (2), F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Light Angst, Pre-Regeneration
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-09
Updated: 2014-10-09
Packaged: 2018-02-20 12:08:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2428142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carryingstarlightinherwake/pseuds/carryingstarlightinherwake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Reeling (and dying) from radiation poisoning pre-regeneration, The Tenth Doctor takes a chance to say goodbye to his companions. While he's stopping in-between visits, though, he encounters a dear friend for the final time--and realizes something very important.</p><p>An alternate take on Donna's (and Wilfred's) final encounter with The Doctor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Top Ten Ways To Know If The Universe Is Conspiring Against You: "Cause of Death" Edition

        The Doctor ticked another name off of the “to-visit” list of people in his head. Well, there’d been The Brig. Funeral, and a cuppa (not necessarily in that order). Good. Next was Adric. Pre-death, of course. And then, after that…

        The thoughts subsided as a pang of hurt jabbed at his being. One of the problems of radiation poisoning was the excruciating amount of  _pain._  Granted, there were worse ways to die—for example, tripping over a brick, or being devoured alive by the meter-tall, flying piranhas on Pacificania-7. Yeah. That would’ve been  _rough._

        But, slowly dying of enough radiation to easily kill pretty much anyone (500,000 rads, to be exact) over the course of thirty or so seconds was definitely in the Universal “Top 5” list of “Most Painful Ways To Die”. Probably ranked third on the “Top Ten Ways To Know If The Universe Is Conspiring Against You: Cause of Death Edition”.

        It was a miracle that he’d managed to survive this long. Still, he’d moved the TARDIS into relatively modern times. Two-thousand… eight? -Ish? Yeah, 2008, London, in an alleyway where one could easily see in from the street, and vice versa. He’d have to take it back to E-Space, then. Oh, well. When he was about to go back into the TARDIS, he looked off in the distance and saw, walking with an amiable elderly man, someone whom he’d’ve recognized  _any_ day.

        Donna Noble. Pre-memory-wiping Donna Noble. Some ginger strands of hair flew into her face from the gentle April winds, shining in the sunlight. She was jabbering gleefully to Wilfred, who nodded enthusiastically at each word, chuckling all the while.

        The Doctor must’ve landed during one of the many traveling breaks the Noble woman would take, when Donna had wanted to return home for a week or two at a time. To rest, to spend some time with family, catch up with friends, visit her father’s grave, et cetera. Thinking back, The Doctor remembered once how Donna had mentioned that she’d seen him across a street in an alleyway somewhere smack-dab in the middle of London, while he’d  _insisted_ that it hadn’t been him.

 

 _“You were all bruised an’ battered,”_ She’d recounted, following his pacings around the console as the teal glow illuminated her being.  _"You looked like you’d been through a meat grinder!"_

_“Well, Donna, it wasn’t me. Maybe it was some bloke in a costume, I dunno. Or—Remember, I’m a time traveler. Things don’t really tend to happen in a traditional order for me.”_

        Donna had pondered that for a moment, then inquired, _”What could’ve happened, then?”_

        He’d shrugged.  _"Dunno. But, knowin’ me, I probably tripped over a brick of some sort,"_ Ten had joked with a quiet, half-pained chuckle.

        Gears turning in her mind, she’d walked away from that conversation with the look of someone who’d seen a ghost. The brunet had paid it no mind. Well—Until this moment.

 

        She must’ve seen him as he’d been dying.

 

        But, she couldn’t have known. If she  _had?_ Oh, boy, Ten would’ve gotten an earful. Maybe a hug. Some tears, followed by an emphatic, “There’s no way in  _hell_ you’re gonna die on me, Spaceman,” and some apologies on his part at how he couldn’t promise her the one thing that they both would have wanted most.

       He’d normally stop indulging in the nostalgic daydreams, for they hurt far more than the radiation poisoning that gnawed away at his being. But, given that he was inches away from death, he let himself imagine, hearing her voice as clearly as if she were right there next to him, and feeling the warmth of an embrace that was never to be.

       It was refreshing, to see her so happy. After basking in the moment, he was about to turn, when, from across the street, Donna  _stopped._ Wilfred almost bumped into her. The Noble woman, eyebrows furrowed, gazed straight at where Ten stood, and after the look of shock passed from her features, she beamed at him, positively shining on that city corner through the bustle and clamor of traffic. Mouthings of ‘Hello, Doctor!’ and waving followed.

       The Doctor, a bit surprised himself, waved back, returning the smile until Donna walked away, going about her day as she’d been and vehemently gesturing to her very-befuddled grandfather. He bit his lip. As he waved one last time to his best friend in the entire Universe, some tears trickled down his cheeks. ”Goodbye, Donna,” Ten whispered. “My Earthgirl.”

       Her auburn head and Wilf’s red cap disappeared within the crowd, and he dropped his hand, waiting in silence before confessing aloud to the spring breeze what he’d felt since that awful, miserable, storming day, so long ago, but never had had the hearts to say:

       ”— _I miss you.”_

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted here:  
> http://timeywimeyten.tumblr.com/post/97854536354/inspired-by-omxes-post-the
> 
> This is my first fic posted on AO3. Thanks so much for reading!


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